Classic aces set for showdown
Press Association The Andre Fabre-trained colt was added to the field for the Group One for three-year-olds at the confirmation stage, for which 15 are listed. Make Believe showed he was one of Europe’s leading milers when beating his stablemate New Bay in the French 2000 Guineas at Longchamp last month, form well advertised since. Make Believe, winner of the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, is set to take on dual Guineas victor Gleneagles at Royal Ascot after he was supplemented for Tuesday’s St James’s Palace Stakes. Richard Hannon has left in Ivawood, who finished third behind Gleneagles in both Newmarket and Curragh Classics, and Estidhkaar, who disappointed on the Rowley Mile. Also in the mix are Aktabantay, Bossy Guest, Dutch Connection, Latharnach and Consort. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the lightly-raced Consort took his unbeaten record to two when impressing in the Heron Stakes at Sandown on the Brigadier Gerard card late last month. The Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-owned grey was adding to a maiden win from Newmarket in September. Immediate options after Sandown surrounded the St James’s Palace or the Tercentenary Stakes, and connections have opted to take the Group One plunge. Highclere tweeted: “Consort given green light to run in the St James’s Palace at Royal meeting after pleasing in a piece of work.” Consort has been ridden by Ryan Moore in both of his outings to date, but with the former champion riding Gleneagles, Frankie Dettori comes in for the mount. Highclere added: “With Ryan on Gleneagles Frankie Dettori has been booked to ride Consort in the St James’s Palace.” Already a mover in the market, the Lope De Vega colt was cut to 8-1 from 10-1 by William Hill. Spokesman Jon Ivan-Duke said: “Consort is clearly a talented horse and punters have faith despite his lack of experience.” “The decision was made a bit easier with New Bay winning the French Derby. That franked the form, although it was over a different distance,” said Ted Voute, bloodstock advisor for owner Prince Faisal. “Immediately after the race in France, Andre mooted that maybe we would do that and he was happy with him. “I called him this morning and he said he’d supplemented him. It’s great and something to look forward to.” Fabre is also represented by Territories, who chased home Gleneagles at Newmarket. As well as Make Believe, Prince Faisal retains an interest in Belardo with Godolphin buying into last season’s champion two-year-old. However, Belardo is unlikely to take his chance unless the ground eases considerably. “He’s ground dependent and unless the weather forecast is terribly wrong I suspect he won’t run. The ground needs to be at least good to soft for him to run,” said Voute. As well as Gleneagles, Aidan O’Brien has four other possibles in French Derby runner-up Highland Reel, Sir Isaac Newton, The Happy Prince and War Envoy. 
Conservative political commentator and blogger Andrew Breitbart spoke to students in Doheny Library on Wednesday night, in an event hosted by the USC College Republicans, to highlight the differences between liberals and conservatives.Activism · Andrew Breitbart is the publisher of the blogs BigHollywood, BigPeace, BigGovernment and BigJournalism. He spoke in Doheny Memorial Library Wednesday. – Matthew Wunderlich | Daily Trojan Breitbart said he became interested in politics during his time at Tulane University in the late 1980s. Although he originally held more liberal beliefs during his college years, he gradually shifted his political viewpoints to the right.“I just found myself naturally entering the conservative power realm. I started to realize and think through some of these things that, wherever the left exists, it tries to shut down dissent,” Breitbart said. “Well, I’m a loudmouth and I don’t want to be shut up, so I didn’t like this.”Many view Breitbart as a strict Republican, but he said he is just focused on improving society.“I’m not as political as people think I am,” he said. “I simply care about changing our culture and neutralizing the pernicious influence that the left has on society. They control the megaphone.”Rosemary Meyerott, a junior majoring in business administration, is a new member to the College Republicans who said she wanted to see what Breitbart had to say to USC students.“I wanted to know what he had to share specifically with college students and how his beliefs operate in the university setting,” Meyerott said.Breitbart said he has found that liberals have control over cultural institutions, including Hollywood and American universities, because conservatives have a hard time expressing their viewpoints.He said many of his acquaintances in the entertainment industry, ranging from models to directors to comedians, would tell him about their conservative views, but keep them private for fear of not getting hired.Breitbart said he thinks university professors also hide their true political beliefs for fear of not being able to receive tenure.“Everywhere that I go that reflects the cultural vanguard whether it be USC or Hollywood or the offices of The New York Times you see the same traits of leftist intolerance to other ideas and those ideas reflect a great majority of the American people,” Breitbart said.Breitbart delineated the different definitions of tolerance between those on the left and those on the right.“[The left’s] definition of tolerance is that if you disagree with the proper progressive position of what something is, that’s intolerance,” he said. “You’re living in their little matrix of political correctness where they’re saying if you disagree with us, we’re going to shut you down and call you an ‘ist’ — a racist, a sexist and so on.”Anjali Naskar, a junior majoring in international relations (global business), said she often feels intimidated to speak up in class about her Republican views.“I know that in my classes, I’m scared to speak up because I’m afraid my more liberal professors will throw my beliefs in my face,” Naskar said. “There could be more Republicans in my class, but I wouldn’t really ever know. But Breitbart’s speech got me inspired, so now I’m thinking that I might speak up more about my political views.”Breitbart is the publisher of the news portals Breitbart.com and Breitbart.tv and the blogs BigHollywood, BigGovernment, BigJournalism and BigPeace. His new book, Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World, will be published later this spring.
Confidence isn’t hard to come after the three games that Florida State guard Michael Snaer helped put together over the course of a 10-day span in January.On Jan. 14, the Seminoles beat down then-No. 3 North Carolina in Tallahassee by 33 points, 90-57, in a game that had many (including Hoops America) questioning if North Carolina had the toughness to be a championship team.Perhaps more impressively, following another home win over Maryland, FSU invaded Cameron Indoor Stadium, and Snaer stamped a logo of his own on Coach K Court by nailing a game-winning three-point buzzer beater to end Duke’s near-historic 45-game home winning streak Jan. 21. Snaer completed the 10-day odyssey when he was awarded ACC Player of the Week Jan. 23 due, in large part, to the shot coined “The Dagger at Duke” by Orlando Sentinel writer Coley Harvey.The immense amount of emotion and praise that followed this stretch – which is probably one of the most remarkable runs in Florida State men’s basketball history – made Snaer’s declaration that he was 100 percent confident the ‘Noles will win the ACC understandable. But was it credible? Buyable? Plausible?When Snaer made that bold statement Jan. 24 on ESPNU’s “The Experts,” 11 games remained on Florida State’s regular season schedule, including the upcoming rematch with Duke Feb. 23. Since that prediction, FSU has gone 4-1, which left the Seminoles in a three-way tie with the Tar Heels and Blue Devils atop the ACC with 8-2 conference records.That single loss, a 64-60 defeat at the hands of ACC bottom dweller Boston College, was the type of game that left skeptics wondering whether Florida State has the talent to back up Snaer’s proclamation or find a way to win its first ever league title since joining the ACC in 1991. After all, BC’s upset win Feb. 8 was its first win over a ranked opponent in three years.The only other conference loss for the Seminoles this season was to the Clemson Tigers, a middle-of-the-road squad. So how does head coach Leonard Hamilton – a legitimate National Coach of the Year candidate – explain those types of losses?“That’s the way it is in the ACC; if you’re not on your game, somebody else will be on theirs, and that showed up in the result,” Hamilton told the Associated Press after the loss to BC. “They were hungrier and they were motivated. … If you don’t come with that focus, everybody in the [ACC] will beat you.”Maybe what we’re witnessing is simply a lack of composure due to a lack of limelight experience. Prior to the loss to Boston College, Florida State had achieved its highest AP ranking since 1998 at No. 15.In the remaining three weeks until NCAA tournament time, Florida State will have its opportunity to prove itself and avoid the losses top-tier teams refuse to permit. And Snaer has recognized how important that is since FSU’s failed to grab sole possession of first place in the conference standings.“Starting off the game, what we did, not respecting that team – we weren’t as focused as we should have been, and that caught up with us at the end of the game,” Snaer told the Associated Press. “We get national recognition, and we didn’t handle it well.”Underestimating an opponent shouldn’t be an excuse any longer. The remainder of Florida State’s schedule consists of three home games and three road games with five of them coming against the top seven teams of the ACC. While Duke and Virginia remain the only ranked teams left on the schedule, the final stretch leading into the ACC tournament will be anything but easy for the Seminoles.The best thing for Florida State going forward is the makeup of this team. Six seniors and five juniors, who have been part of three consecutive NCAA Tournament teams under Hamilton, including Snaer (the team’s leading scorer at 13.8 points per game), make up the roster. Upperclassmen leadership should aid in the process of becoming mentally prepared to challenge Duke and North Carolina for the rights to the ACC crown. The last time any team beside Duke or North Carolina won the ACC championship outright was Wake Forest in 2003.For now, it may be best to ignore the loss to Boston College and treat it as an anomaly, as the ‘Noles have still won eight out of nine games after beginning the season 9-6. What they do the rest of the season, especially in the rematch with Duke, is more important than a road loss to BC. Will Florida State back up its leading scorer and win its first ACC title?Despite Snaer’s prediction, it was too early to call it then, and it’s still too early to call it now. Yet, for the first time in quite a while, it doesn’t appear to be an outlandish notion to consider an ACC conference champion that doesn’t sport some shade of blue.Brett is a senior majoring in journalism. Will Michael Snaer’s prediction hold true, or is he just setting himself up for disappointment? Let Brett know what you think by tweeting him at @BAsportswriter or send him an email at bsommers@badgerherald.com.
The federal government has congratulated British professional boxer of Nigerian descent Anthony Oluwafemi Joshua who recently defeated Ukranian Vladimir Klitschko to become the unified world heavyweight champion.In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said Nigeria is proud to be associated with the new unified world champion, whose Nigerian heritage he has publicly acknowledged.“My heart is in Nigeria, My heart is in Britain. I am a Nigerian man by blood, yes,” the minister quoted Joshua as saying in a recent interview, during which the boxer also listed the secret of his success as pounded yam, eba and egusi – all Nigerian cuisine. He hailed Joshua for his humility, despite his success in boxing, and his undying spirit, coming off the canvas after he was knocked down by Klitschko in the sixth round to win by a technical knock out in the 11th round of their pulsating fight.Mohammed said the government will soon invite the new World Heavyweight Champion to Nigeria, especially as he has said he is looking forward to giving something back to the country.Joshua, a Member of British Empire (MBE), represented Britain at the 2012 Olympics in London, winning a gold medal in the super-heavyweight division. He also represented England at the 2011 World Championships, winning a silver medal.Share this:FacebookRedditTwitterPrintPinterestEmailWhatsAppSkypeLinkedInTumblrPocketTelegram
In spite of the fact that the turf is almost ready, the stadium would still not be able to host a high profile game no thanks to the non availability of a floodlight, scoreboard, public address system, dressing room and even public toilet facilities.It was learnt that the NFF wants the state governor to quickly order the putting in place of the facilities still lacking at the arena if Yenagoa’s hosting right is to become a done deal.“It doesn’t make sense for a stadium to have a world class turf only for it not to have even a dressing room and other complementing facilities. What that stadium requires goes beyond having a pitch. The governor must take urgent step now on this if we are to take the female FA Cup final there,” the credible source stressed further.Share this:FacebookRedditTwitterPrintPinterestEmailWhatsAppSkypeLinkedInTumblrPocketTelegram Yenagoa’s chance of hosting her first ever national soccer event this October, may be frittered away unless the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, takes immediate steps to complete the upgrading of the Samson Siasia Stadium facilities.A competent NFF source disclosed yesterday that the Glass House in Abuja has resolved to take the final of the female FA Cup now being bankrolled by oil outfit Aiteo to Yenagoa, but the provisional hosting right is tied to the facilities at Samson Siasia Stadium being fully upgraded.According to sources, the NFF President Amaju Pinnick who early this year visited the Samson Siasia Stadium fell in love with the Geo Technology turf being installed at the arena by stadium construction outfit, Monimichelle and wants the state to use the female FA Cup final to showcase the place to the world.
StumbleUpon Share Mansion88 integrates draw-based games and virtuals from NSoft April 29, 2020 Dafabet continues legacy platform partnership with Comtrade Gaming June 13, 2018 Comtrade gaming confirmed as partner for Superbet expansion August 28, 2018 Share Related Articles Submit Industry software and systems supplier Comtrade Gaming has inked a new strategic technology partnership with Mansion88, which will see Mansion88 migrate its complete backend system and player portal onto Comtrade’s iCore platform.Under the terms of the new partnership, the iCore platform will replace Mansion88’s current legacy system, and will deliver scalability. “Mansion is currently going through a phase of evolution and Comtrade Gaming will now play a key role in shaping the future of our technical capabilities,” explained a spokesperson for Mansion88. “We have always been at the cutting edge with our propriety sportsbook and live dealer software, we will now have a back end platform to help us support this and realise the future business ambitions. “We invested a lot of time analysing the platform market and Comtrade Gaming was a clear choice for an enterprise of our size and scale.”It is hoped that integrating with M88’s proprietary live casino and sportsbook iCore will allow Comtrade Gaming to look into further product diversification, which will enhance competitive advantage through superior player management features.“The Mansion deal represents a huge win for Comtrade Gaming,” explained Steven Valentine, Director of Interactive. “Mansion is a major player in the industry, they have a fantastic brand with a great history and we are very proud to be partnering with them. We have been present in Asia and Europe for 6 years now providing iCore to many tier 1 clients and this partnership cements our place as the go-to PAM provider for enterprise-level operators.” He continued: “Integrating multiple in-house products and combining with this with many 3rd party products into a single seamless backend takes a lot of planning and expertise to mitigate any business risk. “Comtrade Gaming is built on a consistent foundation of successful project delivery. Many operators tolerate poor vendor service or major issues with their own legacy software due to the fear of platform migration. We prove time and again that our vast experience and flexible approach with individual client needs makes us a very reliable choice for operators looking to improve their platform technology.”
Africa’s authentic bitters Alomo Bitters, a product of Ghana’s Kasapreko Company Limited (KCL), has struck a deal with the English Premier League to feature during matches beginning this December, according to officials of the company.Alomo Bitters and KCL’s energy drink – Storm Energy Drink – will be displayed on the stadium pitch-side panels during four EPL matches involving some of the big teams like league leaders Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Leicester City.On why Kasapreko chose to partner with the EPL, Mr Gerald Bonsu, Deputy Commercial Director of the company, said “we believe the EPL is a world-class brand that we want to associate ourselves with. The platform gives us an opportunity to showcase our flagship products such as Alomo Bitters and Storm Energy Drink to the global world.”The Premier League is the most exciting and competitive league in the world which is beamed to over 700 million homes in more than 200 countries.According to Mr Bonsu, Kasapreko will be running some promotion activations on social media and on-grounds to engage its consumers who will win amazing prizes during the matches at selected bars and pubs. The first match is between Manchester United and West Bromwhich takes place on Saturday December 17, 2016 at 5.30pm.He encouraged consumers to engage in the conversation on social media (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) with the hashtag #AlomoBittersOnEPL
Dodgers’ Dave Roberts says baseball’s unwritten rules ‘have changed, should change’ Whicker: Dustin May yet another example of the Dodgers’ eye for pitching Dodgers’ Justin Turner looking rejuvenated on defense Dodgers’ hot-hitting Corey Seager leaves game with back injury Newsroom GuidelinesNews TipsContact UsReport an Error PreviousDodgers starting pitcher Kenta Maeda #18 reacts after giving up a two run homer to the Reds’ Scooter Gennett #3 in the fifth inning during their game at Dodger Stadium Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)The Reds Scooter Gennett #3 celebrates after hitting a two run homer in the fifth inning during their game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) SoundThe gallery will resume insecondsThe Reds’ Scooter Gennett #3 points to the sky after hitting a two run homer in the fifth inning during their game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)Dodgers starting pitcher Kenta Maeda #18 reacts after giving up a two run homer to the Reds’ Scooter Gennett #3 in the fifth inning during their game at Dodger Stadium Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)Dodgers starting pitcher Kenta Maeda #18 grimaces after giving up a two run homer to the Reds’ Scooter Gennett #3 in the fifth inning during their game at Dodger Stadium Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)The Dodgers Max Muncy #13 throws to first base for the out on the Reds’ Jose Peraza #9 fourth inning during their game at Dodger Stadium Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)The Dodgers Max Muncy #13 throws to first base for the out on the Reds’ Jose Peraza #9 fourth inning during their game at Dodger Stadium Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)Reds starting pitcher Matt Harvey #32 during their game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)The Dodgers Cody Bellinger #35 slides into third base on a triple as Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez #7 waits for the throw in the second inning during their game at Dodger Stadium Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)The Dodgers Chase Utley #26 catches a fly ball hit by the Reds’ Jesse Winker #33 during their game at Dodger Stadium Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)Dodger starting pitcher Kenta Maeda #18 during their game against the Reds at Dodger Stadium Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Chris Taylor, left, and second baseman Chase Utley collide as they try to field a ball hit by Cincinnati Reds’ Jose Peraza during the sixth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 11, 2018, in Los Angeles. Utley ended up with the ball and forced out Jesse Winker at second. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Cincinnati Reds’ Scooter Gennett, second from left, hits a two-run home run as Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Kenta Maeda, left, of Japan, watches along with catcher Yasmani Grandal, right, and home plate umpire Alan Porter during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 11, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 11: Scooter Gennett #3 of the Cincinnati Reds watches his hit go for a two-run homerun to right field in the fifth inning during the MLB game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on May 11, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)Cincinnati Reds’ Scooter Gennett watches his two-run home run in front of Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 11, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Cincinnati Reds’ Scooter Gennett watches his two-run home run off Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Kenta Maeda, foreground, during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 11, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Kenta Maeda, front, grimaces after giving up a two-run home run to Cincinnati Reds’ Scooter Gennett as catcher Yasmani Grandal stands at the plate during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 11, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Kenta Maeda, of Japan, grimaces while getting a new ball from the umpire as Cincinnati Reds’ Joey Votto rounds third on a two-run home run by Scooter Gennett during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 11, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Cincinnati Reds’ Scooter Gennett is congratulated by teammates after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, May 11, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 11: Yasiel Puig #66 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after hitting a pop fly to third base with one out and a man on second base in the fifth inning during the MLB game against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium on May 11, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)Cincinnati Reds’ Jesse Winker, below, is forced out at second as Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley aborts his throw to first on a ball hit by Jose Peraza during the sixth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 11, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, left, walks to the mound to remove starting pitcher Kenta Maeda during the fifth inning of the team’s baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, May 11, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)The Reds’ Tucker Barnhart slides into second base on a double as the Dodgers’ Max Muncy waits for the throw during the fifth inning of Friday’s game at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)Cincinnati Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton collides with the wall as he tries to catch a ball hit for a triple by Los Angeles Dodgers’ Chris Taylor during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 11, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Cincinnati Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton collides with the wall as he tries to catch a triple by Los Angeles Dodgers’ Chris Taylor during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 11, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy celebrates after hitting an RBI double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, May 11, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Scott Alexander throws during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, May 11, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy, top, runs to first on a solo home run off Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Austin Brice, foreground, during the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, May 11, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy gestures as he nears the plate with a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, May 11, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 11: Catcher Tucker Barnhart #16 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrates with pitcher Raisel Iglesias #26 of the Cincinnati Reds after their 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the MLB game at Dodger Stadium on May 11, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)Dodgers starting pitcher Kenta Maeda #18 reacts after giving up a two run homer to the Reds’ Scooter Gennett #3 in the fifth inning during their game at Dodger Stadium Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)NextShow Caption1 of 30Dodgers starting pitcher Kenta Maeda #18 reacts after giving up a two run homer to the Reds’ Scooter Gennett #3 in the fifth inning during their game at Dodger Stadium Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)ExpandLOS ANGELES — In town for the Dodgers’ “Alumni Weekend” events, legendary left-hander Sandy Koufax was in the front row of the owner’s box for most of Friday night’s game at Dodger Stadium.Too bad – he shouldn’t see them like this.Lifeless on offense and inadequate on the mound, the Dodgers were handled easily by a team accused of tanking its season – again – losing for the second consecutive night to the Cincinnati Reds 6-2.Over the past 2-1/2 weeks, the Dodgers have lost six of eight games against the three worst teams in the National League – the Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres and Reds. They are the only NL teams with worse records than the Dodgers.
Matt Harvey looked out of place in his Reds debut, the one-time toast of New York no longer a “Dark Knight” in Reds gear. But the Dodgers helped him look like his old self.“I hear ya,” Roberts said when reminded of Harvey’s 6.00-plus ERA and the struggles that led to the New York Mets dumping him. “He got our guys out tonight.”Limited in his pitch count, Harvey went only four innings but he should have left with a no-hitter going. He retired 12 of the first 13 Dodgers batters, allowing only one baserunner when Cody Bellinger’s high fly ball in the second inning was lost in the evening sky by Reds right fielder Scott Schebler. It fell for a triple – Bellinger having learned to leg such things out more aggressively.The Dodgers didn’t have another baserunner until the fifth inning when Chris Taylor tripled off the center field wall and Max Muncy doubled off the left field wall to produce a run. Muncy homered in the seventh for the other one.Sign up for our Inside the Dodgers newsletter. Be the best Dodger fan you can be by getting daily intel on your favorite team. Subscribe here.But the Dodgers finished the night 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position, failing to advance Bellinger after that one-out triple, Muncy after his one-out RBI double or Chase Utley after he singled and moved into scoring position with one out in the sixth.After that one, Yasmani Grandal and Matt Kemp each took called third strikes against Reds reliever Austin Brice. Kemp put his bat to another use – kindling. He snapped it over his knee as he retreated to the dugout, grumbling over home plate umpire Alan Porter’s strike zone. Porter retaliated by ejecting Kemp from the game.That was the most excitement produced during a Dodgers’ half-inning all night.Since scoring 15 runs and going 12 for 27 with runners in scoring position during the first game of a doubleheader in San Francisco on April 28, the Dodgers are 19 for 108 (.176) with RISP while averaging 3.2 runs per game – and losing nine of 13 games.Related Articles “Momentum is real. I think so. I believe in it,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I believe in making your own breaks and being proactive. But when you get behind and see the same old thing again, that’s contagious too. As opposed to getting behind and saying, ‘We’re going to win.’ Those thoughts are contagious too.“But you have to win games to create that. It doesn’t just manifest itself out of thin air. You’ve got to live it first. We haven’t done that consistently.”They have lived this often enough that Roberts acknowledged his post-game remarks – bemoaning a lack of offense and falling behind early while crediting his team’s effort – have become rote. They certainly rang hollow Friday night.“I just know we still believe in the guys we have in the clubhouse,” Roberts said. “The worm’s gotta turn at some point. I believe it will. Sooner would certainly be better.”The same issues that have brought the Dodgers to this low state were on display for Koufax and all to see Friday. “No one is trying to make outs. I can promise you that,” Roberts said. “But right now it’s just not happening. Really you can try to analyze it. You can say whatever you want. Everyone can have their thoughts and opinions. But right now we’re just not in sync. It’ll turn. It will turn.”Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda didn’t have a very good evening either. He allowed eight of the first 16 batters he faced to reach base and gave up five runs on nine hits in only 4-2/3 innings.The loss was the Dodgers’ 12th in their past 17 games and dropped them six games under .500 (16-22) for the first time since June 2013.“I don’t know. I just know it’s not happening,” Roberts said. “Everyone is trying. They’re all trying to win. It’s just not happening.“We know we’re better than this. We’ve got to keep believing it. It hasn’t shown itself recently. But to just keep grinding, that’s all we can do.” Dodgers bench slumping Cody Bellinger for a day 
Coach of Borussia Dortmund Jurgen Klopp in an interview to German Sport said that BiH football player Edin Džeko is a fantastic player.Borussia is searching a replacement for Robert Lewandowski if Džeko wants to come to Borussia instead of Lewandowski then he’ll have to adapt to financial situation of Borussia, said Klopp.
LOS ANGELES — Errol Spence Jr. was forced to fight with an opponent who wouldn’t allow him to do what he wanted to and needed to dig deep in order to earn a hard-fought split decision over Shawn Porter to unify the WBC welterweight title with his IBF title at Staples Center on pay-per-view. In front of 16,702 rabid fans, Spence and Porter put together a Fight of the Year front-runner that was full of dramatic swings, fireworks and a late knockdown by Spence that sealed the deal against a surging Porter. Join DAZN and watch more than 100 fight nights a yearPorter (30-3-1) entered the fight as a significant underdog who was considered a dirty fighter by Spence, but Porter demonstrated a few wrinkles in his game to go along with a physical style that often had Spence looking out of sorts as the two went to battle. Spence initially attempted to work behind his jab and body punching but was forced to abandon the game plan when Porter feinted his way inside and bounced punches off of his opponent’s head and body. It was the first time in his professional career where fans saw Spence (26-0) being forced to work his way out of trouble, but he managed to escape some dicey moments by strafing Porter with a short left hand that found its home more often than not. Many of the rounds were filled with fireworks as the fighters exchanged hard shots and the crowd showered them with support. The middle rounds belonged to Porter as he used his controlled aggression to make his way inside and outwork Spence, but Spence refused to be run over like many of Porter’s previous opponents. The 11th round turned the tide when Spence ran Porter into a left hand that dropped his opponent to the canvas. Porter made his way to his feet, but the momentum had shifted in Spence’s favor. The undefeated champion closed the show in impressive fashion and earned the decision with two scores of 116-111 in his favor and a third judge seeing it 115-112 for Porter. “It feels good to win,” Spence said afterward. “This is a lifetime dream. It shows hard work pays off.”Compubox had Spence and Porter throwing a nearly identical amount of punches (745 for Spence to 744 for Porter), but Spence outlanding his opponent by a 221-172 magin. Although he came up short, Porter had nothing to be ashamed about. He put on the performance of a lifetime and is always one fight away from getting right back into the mix. “I’ve said this before, I’ve had a lot of experience in the boxing ring. Did you enjoy that fight?” Porter asked, to a massive ovation from the fans. Spence didn’t have much time to breathe after the decision was announced. Former WBC champion Danny Garcia — not Manny Pacquiao — climbed into the ring to challenge him. “My, how the tables have turned,” Spence said when he saw Garcia, who was an opponent Spence once looked to face. “I’ve told my team: You line them up, I’ll knock them down.”Errol Spence Jr. vs. Shawn Porter result, updatesErrol Spence Jr. unifies titles by split decision over Shawn Porter in Fight of the Year candidateRound 12 (1:11 a.m.): Spence lands a left hand. Another by Spence. Bombs away by both. Porter lands hard! Spence pins Porter and lands hard. Porter spins out and fires back. Hard right by Spence. This is a Fight of the Year front-runner. Hell of a fight. They are brawling again. Spence with a right hand. Porter digging to the body. Ridiculous. 10-9, Spence 10-9 (114-113, Spence)Round 11 (1:07 a.m.): Dueling chants to open the round. Spence bulls in and lands a body shot. Porter turns him and lands an uppercut and a right hand. Spence drops Porter with a vicious left hand! He’s up! They go right back to war! My God!!! Porter burns back inside. They are firing away! What a round for Spence! 10-8, Spence (104-104)Round 10 (1:02 a.m.): Spence comes out the corner dancing. The crowd erupts. They are right back at it. Right hand by Spence lands. Porter roars in and the two exchange, but Spence has to step back. Spence gets Porter on the ropes and lands hard body shots. Porter fires back. Here we go again! They smother each other to the body. A few low shots but nothing crazy. It feels like Spence is pushing himself and Porter is comfortable with this pace. 10-9, Porter (96-94, Porter)Round 9 (12:58 a.m.): Porter cracks Spence with a short right. He’s just outhustling Spence now. Maybe Spence thought he’d go away, but he’s not. Porter crushes Spence with an uppercut. Wow. Porter on the inside working Spence over. Right hand smacks Spence. They are firing away. War of attrition. 10-9, Porter (86-85, Porter)Round 8 (12:54 a.m.): Porter roars in with a combination. Spence tries to pick him off but misses. Hard right hand by Spence. Hard right hand by Porter buzzes Spence briefly. Porter is making Spence work when he doesn’t want to work. Impressive. 10-9, Porter (76-76) Round 7 (12:49 a.m.) : Porter banging away at Spence along the ropes. Double jab by Porter. Spence hasn’t done anything this round. Porter having a solid round. Feels like Spence is taking a round off. Can’t do that with Porter because he won’t stop. Outworked the hell out of Spence. 10-9, Porter (67-66, Spence)Round 6 (12:45 a.m.): Spence coming after Porter and Porter clips him with an uppercut. They are throwing hands again! Spence looking to the body. They exchange again. Left hand by Spence. Yet another close round but Spence may have squeezed by. 10-9, Spence (58-56, Spence)Round 5 (12:41 a.m.) : Porter with a straight right hand. Spence is going to have to compose himself and Porter lands two hooks. Spence is looking for the big counter. Porter won’t stop coming at Spence. Spence with a counter left to slow Porter down, but Porter roars through it and lands a right hand over the top. Porter, 10-9 (48-47, Spence)Round 4 (12:37 a.m.): Porter is landing hard on Spence to open the round. Man, this is a good fight. Spence firing back. Porter hurts Spence! Porter continues bombing away. Spence backs off. Porter lands a combination. Great round for Porter. “Showtime” banging on Spence! Hard left hand. Spence lands a hard right that lands flush. Oh, my goodness. 10-9, Porter (39-37, Spence) Round 3 (12:33 a.m.): Porter is having a hard time finding his way inside. Hard left to the body by Spence. Porter lands a hard right and Spence cracks him with a short left of his own. It’s a fight! Porter with an overhand right! Porter is bringing the fight to Spence! Spence roars back with short left right. Man, these two are going at it. They brawl to the bell. 10-9, Spence (30-27, Spence)Round 2 (12:29 a.m.) : Seconnd round begins with Porter trying to get inside. Lands a right hand. Short left by Spence. Both are swinging hard. Body shot by Spence lands. Porter steps on Spence’s foot and he loses his balance. Firefight! Both are landing. Spence back to jabbing. Both landing really hard shots. Spence with a left uppercut to the body and Porter bounces a hard right hand in return. 10-9, Spence (20-18, Spence) Round 1 (12:25 a.m.) : Porter bulls his way in after a minute and lands a shot. Spence firing the jab. Hard right hand by Porter inside. Spence takes it well. Body shot by Spence. “The Truth” eats a jab, but looks to the body. Close opening round. 10-9, Spence12:16 a.m.: The fighters are in the ring. It’s time. Errol Spence Jr. vs. Shawn Porter. David Benavidez reclaims WBC super middleweight title with ninth-round TKO of Anthony Dirrell11:50 p.m.: Benavidez sensed that Dirrell was falling apart in the ninth round and throttled him with a scintillating barrage of punches. Dirrell tried his best to remain upright as the beating just continued. The referee had no interest in stopping the fight, so Dirrell’s corner had to save their man from taking any more punishment. Savage beating. 11:42 p.m.: There’s a sense of urgency from Dirrell as the cut is clearly bothering him. Benavidez lands a huge left uppercut that stuns Dirrell. The referee halts the action to take a look at the eye. It’s bad and Dirrell is fighting like he needs this to end. That’s all the opening that Benavidez needs. 11:38 p.m.: Benavidez is still following Dirrell around and is methodically opening up his offense. The problem is that Dirrell isn’t just going to wither. A left hand opens a nasty cut over Dirrell’s eye and likely has shifted the energy in this fight. It’s really bad and Benavidez is after it as we head into the seventh round. 11:30 p.m.: Four rounds down and Dirrell is fighting a good fight. He’s not hurting Benavidez, but he’s also not allowing Benavidez to catch him along the ropes. Benavidez may have to let his hands go moving forward as it appears that Dirrell isn’t just going to allow him to do what he wants. 11:20 p.m. : After two rounds, Benavidez has seemingly found his range as he continues to walk down Dirrell. He’s not throwing many punches, but he’s getting a read on how Dirrell reacts to him flicking a jab or a body shot. Dirrell will need to demand respect with a punch. Otherwise, this could go sideways really quick. 11:11 p.m.: The co-main event is up next. David Benavidez (21-0, 18 KOs) looks to get back the WBC super middleweight title he never lost in a fight against the current titleholder, Anthony Dirrell (33-1-1, 24 KOs).Marios Barrios escapes with controversial unanimous decision over Batry AkhmedovResult: A bit of a shocker with all three judges seeing it for Barrios with scores of 114-112, 115-111 and an egregiously incorrect 116-111. Who knows what they were watching, but Akhmedov clearly won the second half of the fight. Terrible, terrible result. 10:58 p.m: Akhmedov barreled through Barrios over the final two rounds but was dropped by a Barrios right hand in the closing seconds. That could change the dynamic where we see a draw on the scorecards. 10:51 p.m.: Man, that 10th round was really rough for Barrios. Akhmedov has taken over. Barrios was rattled by a bevy of hard shots at the end. Akhmedov could finish this if Barrios isn’t defensively responsible. The in-fighting is just too much. 10:46 p.m.: The tables have turned. Akhmedov hasn’t let Barrios breathe and has not let up with the pressure. As we enter the 10th round, Barrios’ body language is not good. Akhmedov is sensing that Barrios is withering. 10:35 p.m.: Barrios saw something and went after Akhmedov early in the fourth round. A quick left hand scores a flash knockdown; however, Akhmedov has made adjustments and is forcing Barrios into a close-quarters fight as we enter the seventh round. Barrios may be winning, but the tables are slowly turning. It’s a bruising lesson for him. 10:21 p.m.: Barrios hasn’t had much trouble with Akhmedov thus far and is ahead after three rounds, but it’s certainly not a barnburner of any sort. It will be interesting to see if Barrios is content with cruising along or if he’ll turn up the pressure. 10:08 p.m.: Mario Barrios (24-0 16 KOs) takes on Batry Akhmedov (7-0, six KOs) next. Tough test for Barrios. Josesito Lopez roughs up and stops John Molina 9:50 p.m.: Lopez jumps on Molina to start the eighth round and there really was no reason to have him continue to take punishment. A few power shots and the referee calls it a night. 9:47 p.m.: After cruising along for a few rounds, Lopez blasted Molina in the seventh round with a wicked three-punch combination that deposited the battle-worn fighter to the canvas. Somehow, he is back to his feet and escapes the round. There really is no reason to keep trotting him out there. 9:41 p.m.: Well, we’re still here. The pace has slowed down and Molina has had some moments. Interestingly, it feels like Lopez is the one who has taken his foot off the gas and is now just planning for the perfect right hand. He’ll need to pick up the pace if he wants to finish this fight. 9:22 p.m.: Lopez wasted little time tearing into the battle-worn Molina and dropped him twice in the opening frame. The second knockdown came by way of a brutal body shot where Molina just barely beat the count. No way this goes the distance. 9:16 p.m.: John Molina Jr. and Josesito Lopez are kicking off the PPV. This should be an absolutely savage brawl and one that could be a “loser leaves town” kind of a match. This is the kind of fight to start a PPV. Robert Guerrero gets by gritty Jerry ThomasResult: 99-91, 99-91 and 98-92 were the scores but Thomas was no pushover for Guerrero. Obviously, Guerrero was a class above and proved it with his sharper punching and a more defined skill set, but Thomas was scrappy enough to keep himself in the fight. A strong ninth round by Thomas will likely be remembered and the reason why we see Thomas against another upper-tier opponent. 8:50 p.m.: It was a pretty methodical fight until the ninth round when Thomas woke up and went to work. Guererro should be up comfortably but the scrappy Thomas is certainly going to be around for another decent fight. 8:27 p.m.: Welcome, fight fans, to Sporting News’ live coverage of Errol Spence Jr. vs. Shawn Porter. Getting a little bit of a late start due to the Deontay Wilder vs. Luis Ortiz 2 press conference running long, but we’re ringside for the fourth round of Robert Guerrero (35-6-1, 20 KOs) taking on Jerry Thomas (14-1-1, eight KOs) on the FS1 undercard. Thomas has proven to be a tough customer thus far and is giving the Guerrero rejuvenation project all it can handle. Errol Spence Jr. vs. Shawn Porter fight cardMatchupClassBeltErrol Spence Jr. vs. Shawn PorterWelterweightIBF, WBCAnthony Dirrell vs. David BenavidezSuper middleweightWBCMario Barrios vs. Batyr AkhmedovJr. welterweightWBA (Regular)Josesito Lopez vs. John MolinaJr. welterweight…Robert Guerrero vs. Jerry ThomasWelterweight…MORE: Purse, prize money details for Spence vs. PorterSpence vs. Porter latest news — Shawn Porter wasn’t sure if he would get to this point in his career. He details to Sporting News how got to the big stage. — Floyd Mayweather Jr. is perhaps the greatest boxer of this generation, but if it wasn’t for a highly notable sparring session , maybe Errol Spence Jr. doesn’t become the star he is today.— Not sure if you want to watch Spence vs. Porter? Here is everything you need to know about the big fight.— Looking for some extra cash in your pocket? Here’s how you should bet on the big fight.